How to encrypt and decrypt data in Python?

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Symmetric Encryption in Python
  • 1. Encrypting and Decrypting with AES using cryptography
    • Steps to Install the cryptography Library:
    • Example: AES Encryption and Decryption
  • 2. Encrypting and Decrypting with AES using PyCryptodome
    • Steps to Install PyCryptodome:
    • Example: AES Encryption and Decryption
• Asymmetric Encryption in Python
  • 1. Encrypting and Decrypting with RSA using cryptography
    • Example: RSA Encryption and Decryption
• Conclusion

Introduction

Encryption is the process of converting data into an unreadable format to protect it from unauthorized access, while decryption reverses the process, making the data readable again. Python provides several libraries for implementing encryption and decryption, including the popular cryptography and PyCryptodome libraries.

This guide will explain how to perform symmetric (using the same key for encryption and decryption) and asymmetric encryption (using public and private keys) in Python with examples.

Symmetric Encryption in Python

Symmetric encryption uses the same key to both encrypt and decrypt the data. A common algorithm for symmetric encryption is the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).

1. Encrypting and Decrypting with AES using cryptography

The cryptography library is a widely-used Python library for secure data encryption and decryption.

Steps to Install the cryptography Library:

Example: AES Encryption and Decryption

2. Encrypting and Decrypting with AES using PyCryptodome

PyCryptodome is another powerful library for cryptographic functions, which supports AES encryption.

Steps to Install PyCryptodome:

Example: AES Encryption and Decryption

Asymmetric Encryption in Python

Asymmetric encryption uses a pair of keys: a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption. RSA is a widely-used algorithm for asymmetric encryption.

1. Encrypting and Decrypting with RSA using cryptography

Example: RSA Encryption and Decryption

Conclusion

Encrypting and decrypting data is crucial for maintaining data security in Python applications. For symmetric encryption, AES is commonly used, and the cryptography and PyCryptodome libraries provide powerful implementations. For asymmetric encryption, RSA is widely used, and you can easily handle it with Python's cryptography library. Using these techniques, you can secure sensitive information and protect your applications from unauthorized access.